Zoro sometimes finds himself on child duty with Bonney and Kira when Kidd is busy with the rest of his crew. Bonney holds onto him as easy as she did in Shaboady, equally carefree and bossy. Kira is less clingy, but will hold his hand on Zoro's left side. Grasping it softly, wanting to be there, wanting Zoro to knows he's there, but wanting to remain unseen.
<><><>
Zoro trusted Luffy intrinsically, so when his captain had welcomed the other two pirates at the start of the raid, Zoro had left any of his own reservations at the proverbial door. He was curious, to put it lightly, when he clocked just who Kidd's first mate was in regards to the collectively turbulent shifting alliances and double agents of Wano; and had made a point to call the man out of it once Luffy wasn't paying attention. But nothing had ever come from it, and Killer had proven himself to be loyal to the fight against Kaido and Big Mom, and Zoro hadn't felt the need to bring it up again.
Waking up from his own post-battle coma to see the other first mate passed out nearby, hearing Trafalgar and Chopper talking amongst themselves about not being able to cure him, had left a weight in his gut he wasn't used too. Even unconscious, he still smirked, corners of his lips curled up, but instead of the Manslayer, Zoro saw Yasu and the other people of Ebisu. How strange that this was why he would see Toko in the face of the man Zoro had dueled to save her. The broken pieces of Killer's helmet had rested next to him, but the doctors had not let him put it back on, not until the stitches on his face had healed more, not until the swelling and bruising had gone down. Zoro had stood over him, a man who'd trying to murder a child not to long ago, battered and broken. But he did not see Kamazo any more in that smile, just Toko - laughing at the feet of her murdered father.
<><><>
He still sees Toko, when Killer has his bad days. When Killer cackled his way though trying to stab him with a fork during his last fit - Kidd hadn't needed to know about that one, Zoro had blocked the attack easy; it wasn't out of anger, it was out of frustration and even as Zoro agreed that it was not okay, this he at least understood - Sanji had been the one to get angry. What could have been a vicious two-on-one - and maybe that's what Killer was trying to provoke - was stopped in his tracks when Zoro stepped in the cook's way. "You remember how they were at Yasu's execution."
While Killer has no idea what he's talking about, Sanji immediately drops his stance, emotions conflicted. He does at least take the fork from where they were fighting over it, and slams it back on the table.
<><><>
Zoro's come to realize that Killer is wary of Luffy when he doesn't have his helmet on to begin with, and his smaller self will freeze up like a prey animal who's just spotted the preditor. Kidd often has to cuff the other captain upside the head, to remind him not to stare. The way Luffy looks at people is too intense. Luffy will smile - the grin that takes up his whole face and gives his silliest apology before flitting away with an easy carefree laughter. Kira is also not so fond of Chopper, but that more to do with his being the person most of his interactions with are in his more confused state and he's hurting again.
Killer likes Jinbe; Everyone likes Jinbe. But child-size Kira lets Jinbe carry him the way he only lets Bonney or Kidd carry him. He will fall asleep held by Jinbe the way he only feels safe enough to do with Kidd. Kidd swears he's not jealous. Killer also likes Robin, likes her quiet and her passion. He likes Franky because he's creative and build mechs and becuase Kidd likes Franky and the two are off planning and creating mischievous monstrosities together. He likes Brooke for his music and because Wire likes Brooke. He likes Usopp for his stories and because Heat likes Usopp.
Adult Killer likes Nami well enough, jokes with her that he sees too much of his Captain in her - that fiery red-head stereotype that they both fall into. He easily sits back and watches in amusement at her take charge nature that even Kidd finds himself falling in line too - much to Kidd's own confusion.
However, child Kira does not like Nami. Which is rough already because she thought they had a good friendship going on. But also because Bonney loves Nami. But Bonney loves her the same reason Kira does not. Nami wants to dote on Bonney and Bonney's playmates. She wants to buy them cute cloths and dress them up and fawn over them (and maybe collect blackmail for when they age up). But Nami makes the mistake of cooing over Kira in one of the outfits she dressed him in one morning and the child bolted. He's smiling still, but his eyes are afraid. Terrified. Betrayed. He runs for the depths of Sunny like he's fleeing death itself, and instead of giving chase, Bonney gets Kidd instead.
Nami wisely did not follow Kira, pacing worriedly on deck, sorrowful and apologetic when Bonney brings Kidd over. The massive man says nothing to her, but at least just warily shakes his head to her. It is her fault, but Kidd's not blaming her for Kira's response when no one thought to warn her about a trigger Kidd didn't realize Killer still had.
Kira had wedged his small body behind bundles of rope, his short hair caught in the coarse yardage and his face hittedn in his knees.
Kidd held Bonney back, trying to judge how to comfort his vice. He could easily move the ropes - expose Kira's hidy-hole, but he knew it will only make things worse after.
Bonney solves that problem.
Kidd finds himself 10 again. he has a little more baby fat than most kids his age had back home - compliments of Killer's scavenging and begging skills at the time. But Killer is not the tall weed of a teen standing over him. Killer is small now. 10 year old Kidd had always been the baby of any group he'd run with; there was never anyone smaller than him growing up. But now there's Kira - half as old as him and even though his memories are jumbled and faded - Kidd moves on nothing but instinct. There's no memory this time to fall back on anyway.
He crawls carefully into Kira's hiding spot; it's crampt, his arm rubs painful on the ropes. Kira is crying and Kidd doesn't understand why any more, but a protective instinct that would cultivate for years down the road springs to life anyway. He doesn't try to pull Kira out, only pushes closer until he can wrap the little boy in his own budge arm.
Their escape from Udon is not far enough way for Kidd, and Kira clings to him once again in a panic. Kazamo will never fully be washed clear of killer's head at any age and the terror of having lost yourself and trying to climb back is too fresh. Kidd feels his heart break as his partner clings, lost once more, to him.
the first time around, killer had no one to turn to for help. he's suffered alone until he's finally and violently broke free of his childhood terror. evenn now, Kidd couldn't fight these battles for him and could only hold tight until Kira allowed himself to feel safe.
Bonney - who has actually twelve - did not have those decade of expeciance Kidd had to fall back on and could only do what a child would do. she sat with her back to them, facing the door to the world outside and gently kicking her feet as the boat swayed, and sang a lullaby that her father had sung to her not so long ago.
the tune was unfamiliar to the boys, neither of them having many lullbies of their own to remember. but it was south blue in its style, and even if it wasn't their language at this age, they'd learn it too in itme and there was an added comfore to that.
the tension finally easled out of Kira's tiny frame, and he sniffed into the tear soaked fabric of he Kidd's shirt beofre bodily plopping aainst his captain in a way only small children can. kidd ran his fingers though Kira's hair, before settling agains the back of his neck, rubing in slow, firm, gentle circles at the base of the small child's neck.
<><><>
Later, once things had quieted again, - a 10 year old Kidd would block nami from the kitchen and boldly warn her not o treat Kira like a girl again. it would initially raise more questions than that it woile answer, but it would be jinbe who'd clarify things once the younger crew had gone to play after dinner.
Adults rarely needed a reason to assault children. And gender wast really anything that mattered in the end. But somewhere in Killer's childhood those things had gotten conflated. Without trusted adults or other healthy childhood relations to compare it to, in the minds of at least these two boys - adults only looked at them softly when they wanted to hurt them. Kidd's inability to articulate it implied that he personally had been spared such treatment up front and was only running on the things his childhood brain had connected on hindsight,
<><>
Nami looked miserable - how to act around a child who though her kindness was a weapon
"don;t talk about his looks." zoro offred, "jsut... play their games, tell him he's doign good when he wins, but don't... don't look at him. if you can help it."
robin looked thoughtful; nami and sanji looking worried. they'd both grown up at a point wher ethey wanted someone - anyone - to see them that it was hard to immagine a child wanted to be ignored.
"Not ignored," robin clarrified, "but i think zoro has soemthing there. Kira clearly enjoys being with others. he has no problems playing with Bonney, or any of us really.
It was a nice day, marred only by the lack of wind. the crews whiddled away the time with little side projects, ad Nami found herself sitting out in the grass, hair pick in hand, carefully smoothing out usopps hair while zoro napped next to them under the shade of her trees.
she'd been at it for some time now - when they'd first started to sail together, usopp had walked her through how to comb out his curls without frizzing them up after their first night on the merry. it taken him forever to wash the blood out, and she could only watch him try to rework his hair alone for so long before offering to help.
it was one of the very few things she didn't charge for
<><>
as she had worked, somwhere around the half way point, they trio had been surpised by Kira, chopper nad booney. their play had taken them past, bonney and chapper wunning on past, but Kira had stopped and jsut watched them for a long moment. nami did her best to not stare back, and just focuses on her work, and it was fillany zoro how tilted his head to the chuurnlty small noy. "you coming or going?"
"can.. can i stay?"
"Of course you can stay," usopp reassured him.
they'd expected him to keep standing, or maybe sit with zoro as he found the other first mate an exceptatble nap partner. Instead, he climbed into usopps lab - with some help from the sniper - and stood on his thighs, watching nami work from over usopps shoulder. after some heitation on usopp's part, Kira accepted the sniper's hands csualy resting on the back of his calfs to help stablaze him even if hte boy's sea legs had come in quick enough. in turn, Kira had tucked into him, one hand around usopp's neck in a half hug, the ohter under his chin on usopp's shoulder, watching the the rat attention a child has when witnessing somehting facinating fo rhte first itme.
"do.. od you want to hlpe?" nami offered, disaapointed when Kira looked at her, an uncertain suprised look she was apressing him at all, before quickly skaing his head no and tring to hid bwteen her nad usopp. but he didn't run away this time, and usopp drummed his fingers against his legs in what he hoped was reassurance.
nami tried no to feel hurt and instead focused on finishing up so she could leave, no longer enjoying the quiet time. she could also feel zoro studying her, and she refused to look in his direction either.
"does it hurt?"
nami glanced up to see Kira had inched back up to watch her work again, but was turned and whispering to usopp. usopp couldn't look at him from where he was without moving his head - and nami's hold on his hair prevented that. "Not at all, nami's very good at it," he reassued the boy instead, his bounced his legs alittle, the boy giggling wiht the moition.
"but it's all tangled..."
"it was all tangled sure, but our nami is very patient, and she's getting the knots out for me." usopp moved one o fhis hands to Kira's back and pulled some of his finished hair around his other shoulderm "and then, she helps get it all fixed so it wont tangle later, see."
Kira braced himself one handed on usopp's shoulder, other tiny fingers holding the coils that usopp offered. he studied to tight coil that nami has curled his hair into, fingers rolling it abit and messing up her work.
his eybrows furrores, the forecer smile pinched and he ducked under usopped chin. hiding, he hled out hte hair he'd messed uo over usopp's shoulder; pressenting it to nami.
Zoror was no longer preneted to sleep, sitting up to watch, though his possition remained relaced.
nami sectioned off hte area she'd been working on over usopp's shoulder, Kira's whole body flinching ehen it rested agsint his other arm now twisted up in usopper's overall straps. Kira wasn't looking directly at her, but she knew from expesance ehe as very aware of her ever move right now. "well that's no good," she said softly, holding the offred hair, hand not quite touching the little boy's "lets see about getting that fixed for usopp..."
Kira peaked up at her hten, blue eye barely visable between usopps body and his own blond hair. nami gently took the offered hair, and worked it backinto shape. "see," she handed it back, "ill good now."
Kira withdrew back aorund the front of usopp, studing the fix. he then showed it to usopp. "I told you, nami is very good."
Kira seemed comtenlative, remaining tucked in and studing the lock of hair. nami and zoro shared a look, where he gave a shrug and settled back inot his nap. with nothing more to do, nami returned to usopps hair.
she was nearly done when she heard Kira whispering at usopp again; well, at first only hearing usopps answers, th boys voice dropped too low.
"as long as it takes." usopp was saying. she heard hte murmer of Kira asking osething, but not the words. "No no, of course not."
"what about when she pulls?"
"she doens't pull on purpose, and she'd very gentle. doens't hurt at all."
"Hwat if she can't get the knot out?"
usopp frowned, "it might take a bit, but she'll get it," he reittereated; while worded a little differnt, the boy was starting to repeat his questions. like he as trying to catch usopp out on a lie and usopp was .. well, he wasn't offended, but he'd thought he'd done pretty well in being mostly truethfull witht he other pirate crews - at least ont he important stuff.
"but what if she can't?" Or maybe Kira was trying to ask something else, and just hadn't found the right way yet....
usopp rubbed his back, the boysighing, thudding his head agasit usopps color bone, "Nami's very smart, she'll figure something out. once, i got my fishing line so knoted up it was as thick as my arm. you could have used it to pull up the ancher. ut nami got it untabled like it was nother." and maybe that wasn't exactly tur, but it was close enough.
Kira muttered his next question into usopps chest - he felt it more than heard it, and bounched his leg alittle, jostling the boy around.
Kira took a breath and repeated himself.
"I dun' wan'er to cu'my hair."
ohhhh... usopp understood now. at least, he think he might. "I don't think there's ever been a know nami couldn't untagnle she would nevr cut your hair jsut to get a knot out."
"promise?"
"cross my heart."
Kira was quiet for a time, and nami bit her lip from saying anything.She finished up usopps hair, and gathered it all back, making sure it wasll all even and laying right.
Zoro spoke up then, eye still closed, but clearing talkign tothe little boy. "Nami would naver do anything you didn't want he to do. if you tell her you odnt want y our hair cut, i promise you, she won't cut your ahir."
Usopp
<><><>
From the railing aover looking them, Robin Franky and Kidd watched the littel group. Kidd's face was quared, thoughts kept to himelf, but at no point made any effort to intervien, letting his tiny second in command work though his jumbled thoughts o fhte strawhat navigator on his own. sanji would occationally bring Robin new drinks, having begrudingly taking the woman's advice to let nami be for the time being
